Ostomy bags are medical devices that are worn by an individual and they can be used for the collection of waste from a surgically diverted bowel or urinary system of the individual. They are used to collect waste that is output from a stoma created in the ostomate's skin and connected to the intestine or urinary system.
Known ostomy bags comprise a pouch or collection bag manufactured of film and in some cases the pouch is attached mechanically or with adhesive to a flange which forms a mounting plate, commonly referred to as a wafer or a baseplate. In use, the flange is fixed to the skin of an individual and the ostomy bag allows the waste to drain from a stoma into the pouch, while protecting the surrounding skin from contamination by the waste.
Ostomy bags should be air- and water-tight and they should allow the individual to lead an active normal lifestyle that can include all forms of sports and recreation. However, there is a need to make ostomy bags discrete.
The need to provide discrete ostomy bags must be balanced with the need to provide a sufficiently large collection bag so that unexpected deposits can be accommodated by the bag. In addition, the mounting plate must provide a secure attachment to the skin of an ostomate, but it must also be discrete and allow for the ostomy bag to be removed for emptying or disposal. Typically, ostomy bags are emptied at least once per day.
The flange which forms a mounting plate is commonly manufactured of a hydrocolloid which is inherently adhesive and serves to attach the ostomy bag to the skin. Alternatively, it is coated with an adhesive which serves to attach the ostomy bag to the skin.
Secure attachment of the ostomy bag to the skin is of great importance to the user and to the functioning of the product. The level of adhesion, however, varies from product to product and also from person to person, with different skin types and conditions. Loss of, or declines in, adhesion can have potentially difficult and embarrassing consequences for an ostomate, due to the nature of the waste in the pouch and unpredictable output of effluent from the stoma.
In addition to lack of adhesion in some cases, abdominal and peri-stomal irregularities pose another major concern; such irregularities, either as a result of herniation, surgery or anatomical deformity can further increase the risk of pouch detachment due to decreased adhesive contact area and difficulty in application. Thus, ostomates frequently feel that additional security is needed.
Flange extenders for ostomy bags are known. They attempt to address this issue. They are generally arc-shaped, typically manufactured of hydrocolloid, and are placed around the peripheral edge of the flange of an ostomy bag to provide an increased area for adhesion. The typical arc shape is based on the circular or near-circular flange shape itself, around which it is applied.
These known flange extenders, partly overlap the flange and provide additional adhesive support in the area immediately around the flange periphery. This goes some way to address the problem of a secure attachment, but one major disadvantage of currently available flange extenders, predominantly based on hydrocolloid, is that they compromise on comfort for the user. Lack of instant tack or adhesion is another limitation of some of the known flange extenders.
Known flange extenders also suffer from the problem that they lack breathability. In this regard, they suffer from poor moisture transmission rates and this can make them uncomfortable for a user, can reduce wear time and cause skin maceration.
The present invention seeks to provide a support film which addresses one or more of the problems presented by prior art arrangements. In particular, the present invention seeks to provide a support film which addresses major concerns of ostomates in conformability, comfort, security and discreteness.